NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission voted Friday to approve appeals from Music City Academy and The Gate School, overturning Metro Nashville Public Schools’ decisions to reject the proposed charter schools.
The commission also unanimously upheld MNPS’ decisions to deny applications from two other schools: Nashville School of Excellence and Empowerment Academy Nashville.
The appeals focused on Metro’s argument that opening the schools would have a significant financial impact on the district by shifting per-student funding away from its schools. Metro estimated that Music City Academy would shift about $1.67 million in its first year, while The Gate School would shift around $1.87 million.
Commission Executive Director Tess Stovall determined that Metro had not shown that these amounts would cause the substantial districtwide financial impact required by law. The review also considered the amounts in relation to the district’s overall budget and previous enrollment changes.
Music City Academy, proposed by former Tennessee Titans player Kevin Dyson, and The Gate School will now receive authorization from the state commission. The commission said it will work with both schools during the implementation process and monitor their progress.
The state commission will serve as the authorizer for Music City Academy and The Gate School for 10 years. An MNPS spokesperson said the commission will help the schools with implementation and track their progress. The spokesperson also noted that the commission operates as a separate local education agency from MNPS.